The Continuing Story of McGee and Elle
by socialgal5
Summary: This is the sequel to "McGee Becomes the Hero." McGee and Elle are engaged and planning their wedding. If you enjoyed my first story, then you're sure to love this one. Lots of fluff, but plenty of action too.
1. Dance Lessons

_This is the sequel to "McGee Becomes the Hero". I finally found the ideas to do another few chapters of Elle and McGee's life together!!!_

Tony walked into the bullpen one morning, took one glance at McGee, and then stopped suddenly. The other agent was listening to something on his IPOD and his feet were doing some sort of pattern on the floor beneath his desk.

"Hey, McDance-a-Lot, what are you doing?" Tony wanted to know, setting his bag down beside his own desk. "Ziva, what is he doing?"

Ziva looked up from her book. "I have no idea." She looked at Timothy and then back at Tony. "Let's find out."

Tim was lost in music and thought when someone took his headphones out quite suddenly. "Hey!" he exclaimed.

"Would you care to explain what you're doing, Fred?" Tony wanted to know, referring to Fred Astaire.

McGee sighed. He'd been discovered, so he might as well admit the truth. "Okay, Elle talked me into taking dance class," he admitted. "I'm just refreshing my memory on the box step."

"Dance lessons?" Tony repeated seriously. Then, he burst into unrestrained laughter. "You let her talk you into that?"

McGee sighed and rolled his eyes. Ziva just folded her arms across his chest.

"I think it is a wonderful idea," she finally remarked. "Dancing is wonderful exercise."

Tim smiled triumphantly up at her. "Thanks, Ziva," he told her.

DiNozzo sat down at his desk, eyeing Ziva warily. "You like the idea? What are you? Insane?"

Ziva smiled smugly. "I think you are afraid of not knowing what to do, Tony," she remarked.

Tony laughed again, but it was a nervous laugh this time. "Am not!" he insisted.

Ziva laughed herself. "Okay. Then take lessons with me."

McGee's mouth dropped open and surprise flashed across Tony's handsome face.

"Dance lessons with you?" Tony repeated. "Are you freakin' kidding me?"

Sitting down at her desk, Ziva smiled again and twirled a pen in her fingers. "Is somebody afraid?" she asked slyly.

"All right, you want to take dance lessons with McGee and Elle, then we'll do it." Ziva turned to McGee, who was still somewhat in shock from what had just passed between his teammates. "So, McGee, can you get us a spot in the class?" she wanted to know.

"Uh...um...I'll just uh...call Elle right now," he stammered. As he dialed his phone, a smile spread across his boyishly cute face.

I was sitting at the desk of my new job, a secretary to a banker, when my desk phone rang.

"Ms. Collins' office, this is Elle. How can I help you?"

"Hey, baby, it's Tim," the voice on the other end of the line said.

I glanced over my shoulder to make sure that my boss was still in her office. She was. "I'm glad you called, McGee. I wanted to tell you that if you don't want to go tonight we don't have too."

"Nah, Elle, it's fine. I want to go. But I was wondering if maybe you would call the studio and see if we can get another spot for Tony and Ziva. They want to take lessons with us," Tim told me.

I choked on my coffee. "Are you serious?" I gasped. "Did you tell them any of the particulars?"

"Nope. But they _really _want to take with us, Elle. Think you can call them?"

A huge smile spread across my face. "I think I can arrange that. Do I have you permission to use some of my more...persuasive methods, if necessary?"

"Go for it, sweetheart. I'll see you tonight. I love you, Elle."

"I love you, too, Timmy."

When I hung up the phone, I had to muffle my unrestrained giggles as I pulled the dance studio's card out of my desk drawer and dialed the number quickly. Fortunately for me, I managed to obtain the last space available for the class.

Later that evening, at 5PM, I grabbed my purse, told my boss goodnight, and headed downstairs to the parking garage. My office was only ten minutes from the NCIS building, and in no time at all, I was parking my car in the NCIS parking deck.

McGee had left me a pass at the desk, like he always did whenever I was coming by to visit the team, or just see him on my lunch break. I walked up to the desk and smiled at the security guard.

"Ms. Charlton!" he greeted me. "How're you doing? How are the wedding plans going?"

I grinned. Over the past months, I'd gotten to know the various guards that worked the desk and they me. "They're great, Bill. We're thinking of going to Jamaica."

Bill handed me my pass after I signed the clipboard. "Have a good evening, Ms. Charlton."

"Thanks. I'll see you again soon."

I rode the elevator up and McGee met me at the door. I looped my arm around his neck and rose up on my tiptoes to kiss him lightly on the lips.

"I'm glad you're here," he told me softly. "I love you. Have I told you that lately?"

I smiled at my fiancé. "Seems like you might have," I teased, kissing him again quickly and then wrapping my arms around him tightly. Never would I forget how close we'd come to losing each other forever. If one bullet had only been a few inches to the left or just a little higher, I'd never be able to look in to McGee's bright blue eyes and hear him tell me that he loved me more than anything.

"If you two lovebirds can stop making out in the office, we might actually make this dance class on time," Tony remarked sarcastically, walking up to us, followed closely by Ziva.

"Don't worry, Tony," I told him. "We've got forty-five minutes."

"What exactly will we be learning?" Ziva wanted to know.

McGee shrugged casually. "You know, the Foxtrot, the Waltz, and the Quickstep. All the Latin dances come later."

"Latin?" Tony repeated, his smile disappearing.

"Yeah, you know, the Rumba, the Samba, the Mambo, the Jive and maybe a few more. I'm not sure," I replied.

Tony looked at Ziva. "You're gonna pay for this, David."

"Oh," I laughed to myself. "You have no idea!"


	2. Love

When we arrived at the studio, the other six couples that had signed up had already arrived and were doing some stretches on the dance floor. The head instructor, Victor, came over to greet us.

"Ahh! This couple must be the last-minute sign ups," he observed, looking at Ziva and Tony.

"Victor, this is Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David. Guys, this is Victor Sliwinksa, the dance instructor," McGee introduced everyone.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both," Victor said, bowing slightly. "May I ask when you became engaged?"

"Excuse me?!" Ziva coughed. "Engaged?"

"This class is for engaged couples who are looking to learn dancing for their wedding reception." Victor's eyebrows furrowed together in puzzlement. He didn't understand why the beautiful Israeli woman didn't know what he was talking about.

"Wedding reception?" Ziva repeated in disbelief. I squeezed Tim's hand, both of us trying to stifle the laughter.

"Ziva, darling, don't worry about it. Your father won't be checking up on us here," Tony spoke up suddenly, putting his arm around her shoulders. Then, he turned to Victor. "She's Muslim and I'm Catholic. Our families aren't happy about the relationship and we've been trying to keep the engagement secret," he lied smoothly.

Ziva looked at him like he'd lost his mind but Tony looked completely comfortable with the ruse.

"Well, you may be assured that your secret is safe with me," Victor assured them. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take care of a few things and then we'll get started."

He walked away and, immediately, Tony and Ziva whirled around to face us.

"Probie, I'm going to make your life a living hell from here on out. Are we clear?" Tony insisted fiercely.

"Hey, Ziva's the one who talked you into it. You never asked me any questions about what kind of class we were taking," McGee reminded him calmly, wrapping his arm around my waist tightly and holding me close to him.

Tony opened his mouth to speak again, but then stopped suddenly. Ziva punched his shoulder, none to gently either, as she said something in Arabic angrily.

I smiled at them. "Still, I really hope this works out for you guys. Surely your parents can get over their objections. You guys just look _perfect _together."

After our first class, which had been great for me and McGee and awkward for Tony and Ziva, they both headed home and McGee drove me back to the NCIS building so I could get my car. From there, we headed back to my apartment with some take-out Chinese.

"The look on Ziva's face was hilarious!" I declared, coming out of the bedroom after changing into some yoga pants and an NCIS t-shirt that McGee had given me awhile back. " I thought she was going to start cursing everyone in Arabic."

McGee was in the kitchen, his shirtsleeves rolled up and his tie and coat hanging over a barstool. "Tony's not going to leave her alone for weeks," he declared, spooning the Chinese food out onto our plates.

I came up behind him and put my arms around his neck, leaning my head against his back, closing my eyes and sighing. "Tim, I love you _so_ much."

He reached up and put his hand on top of mine, pressing them against his heart. "I love you, too, Elle. Only two more months before you'll be mine forever."

For over a minute, we stood just like that, neither one of us saying a thing. We were both overwhelmed with happiness. Finally, we decided the food was growing cold and ate quickly, then sat down to watch some TV before McGee headed back to his apartment for the night.

"I was thinking," I began. "Do you ever wonder if we would have met if Will hadn't been murdered? If I hadn't dated Scott in the first place?"

Tim rubbed his hand up and down my back slowly, holding me close against him. "I don't know, Elle," he told me honestly. "I never came to the Barnes and Noble you worked at, so who knows?"

"I know it would be horrible to say that I'm glad everything that happened _did_ happen, but when I think about not being with you—not being your fiancée—it makes me feel so _alone._ I never thought I'd find someone I could love as much as I love you, Timothy McGee." I turned and looked up into his bright blue eyes and found him smiling. He leaned in close and pressed his lips against mine intently. I looped my arms around his neck and slid closer to McGee. He slid his hands down my back and pressed me tight against him.

After a little while, I realized I needed to stop now, otherwise I might make a mistake that I would regret, so I reluctantly pushed Tim away. "I think maybe you should go now," I gasped breathlessly. "It's late."

McGee sighed, pretending to be annoyed with me and my rules. "Okay, Elle. You win."

When he was gone, I went into my bedroom and washed off the make-up I'd been wearing all day while listening to the CD of Will playing the piano. My life had changed so much, but all for the better it seemed. I missed Will horribly many times. He had been the one I confided too all the time, whenever I needed to talk about anything whatsoever. Even though no one could replace my best friend, I had gotten someone similar in Timothy McGee. The only difference was that McGee and I were in love and had been from almost the first moment he laid eyes on me.

When I crawled into bed and turned the lights out, I sighed blissfully. "Will, thank you so much for telling me it was all right to be happy," I said in the general direction of Heaven. "You and God know what you're doing—I know that now. Lord," I prayed, "thank you for sending me Will for the time that you did, and thank you for sending me McGee and the NCIS team."

With that, I rolled over and fell asleep.

While driving back to his own apartment, McGee pondered what had happened to him since he met Elle. She had completely changed his life and everything in it. He had never imagined that he could love someone as much as he loved Elle Charlton, but he did. He'd had a close shave with death and so had she, but it only made him cherish her all the more. Ever since they'd gotten engaged, Tim had noticed that his boss, Gibbs, seemed to treat him with a little more respect than normal. Tony tried to make fun of him, but it didn't work. It was obvious that he was a little jealous of the relationship.

_Love is patient. Love is kind. _


	3. Will I have to wear a tux?

The next night, I encouraged McGee to go out with Tony, Ziva, and Abby for a little time at the bar while I took care of some other things.

I drove to Gibbs' house and sat in the car for twenty minutes, trying to figure out what I was going to say to him, exactly. It wasn't that I was at all afraid of Gibbs; on the contrary, I had a special place in my heart for the gruff, stern older man. He had smiled at me on occasion and frequently kissed my cheek when I saw him.

Finally, I got out of my car and walked to the front door, then knocked loudly. Nobody answered and I knew he was home; the Dodge Charger was in the driveway and his old, classic car was in the garage. On an impulse, I opened the door and walked in.

"Gibbs!" I called, walking through the house.

"Down here," I faintly heard Gibbs' voice say from somewhere in the house.

A door in the hallway was cracked open and I could see light coming from inside. I opened it and called down the stairs for Jethro.

"C'mon down, Elle," he said.

I left my purse and keys by the door and then walked downstairs. My mouth literally dropped open when I saw the frame of a boat in the basement.

"You take down bad guys _and _you build boats?" I exclaimed. "What can't you do?"

"Make a marriage last," Gibbs replied very simply.

I laughed a little. "Funny you should mention that," I said. "I came to ask you about something."

"If you and McGee had a fight, I'm probably not the best one to ask for advice," Jethro told me, continuing to work on his boat.

I pulled up a stool and sat down beside him. "I didn't come to ask for advice and Tim and I aren't fighting. I don't think I could fight with him. That's how much I love him."

"Then what's up? I already told McGee to reserve me a flight down to Jamaica for the wedding." Gibbs turned to his worktable and picked up a different tool, then got back to work.

"I need to ask you...to do something for me." I stopped, too nervous to go on. I wasn't sure how Gibbs would react to my request.

"Spit it out, Ellie," he told me, using his pet name for me.

I smiled, relaxing now that I knew he was in a good mood. " You know how, at most weddings, the father-of-the-bride walks the bride down the aisle. Well...um, see...I don't really have a father and Tony's the best man, so I was wondering if...you would do it."

For a little while, Gibbs didn't say anything. Then, he started talking. "Did you know that I used to have a daughter?"

I shook my head, completely seriously. "No. Nobody ever mentioned that to me."

"The team doesn't know much about it. I haven't mentioned Shannon and Kelly to anyone lately."

I figured it would be better just to let him talk, rather than but in and ask questions. Gibbs didn't open up very often, and if he was doing it now, far be it from me to interrupt the moment.

"They were killed while I was overseas," he explained. "Shannon was my first wife and we had a beautiful little girl, Kelly. I remember one time when she was riding her bike down the sidewalk, it occurred to me that I would have to walk her down the aisle one day."

I swallowed hard, only able to imagine how hard this must be for Gibbs. I'd asked him a simple question and it had brought back all these memories. "I'm sorry, Gib—" I stopped mid-sentence when I remembered that Gibbs didn't like for people to apologize to him. "I didn't mean to remind you of the past."

He didn't say anything and I assumed his was angry with me, so I got up and began to leave without another word. I was halfway up the basement staircase when he finally spoke.

"Would I have to wear a tux for this thing?" he asked, not looking up from his work.

I turned around and a huge smile spread across my face. Gibbs looked up at me and smiled too. With that, I ran back down into the basement and threw my arms around his neck.

"Thank you so much, Gibbs!" He held me tight for a minute or two and then I pulled away. "You're the closest thing I have to a father-like figure, you know."

He kissed my forehead. "You've joined the ranks of my adopted daughters, Ellie."

I cocked my head. "Who else was adopted? Ziva and Abby?"

Gibbs nodded and I smiled back at him. "Well, I feel that a great honor has been bestowed upon me, oh great Gibbs," I teased him.

His face grew serious and suddenly he head-slapped me, none to gently I might add. "Oww!" I exclaimed.

"Don't get smart with me, Ellie. I'll whip your ass back into shape quickly," he told me.

I kissed his cheek gently. "I love you, Gibbs," I blurted out without thinking.

Gibbs smiled again and rumpled my hair affectionately. "I love you, too, Ellie. Now, how much do you know about working on boats?"

I shook my head regretfully. "Not much, sorry. Why? You need help so bad that you're asking me to work on your beautiful boat?"

Picking up his tools, Gibbs went back to work. "How 'bout you order the pizza and I'll work on the boat," he suggested.

I nodded, another smile spreading across my face. "I can order a killer pizza," I assured him.

That night, I was after midnight getting back to my apartment. Gibbs and I had enjoyed pizza and beer in the basement while he worked on his boat. Then, we'd discussed everything—politics, movies, work, and a million other things. Gibbs had never talked so much before at one time that I could remember. It was a whole different side of him that I'd never seen. Somehow, though, I think I liked the stern, silent, and mysterious Gibbs better than this talkative guy in a basement with a boat.

_Okay, I really like McGee, but Gibbs is also one of my favorite characters. I want him and Elle to be close and have a relationship similar(but still different) to that of Gibbs' and Abby's relationship, which I believe is merely father/daughter. _


	4. Awwwness

_Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while. I just had all four wisdom teeth out at the same time and with a combo of lack of solid food and heavy pain meds, I've been a little spacey. Here goes, though. I'm finally feeling better, so hopefully I'll be updating much more often._

The next night, when I got off of work, I went over to McGee's apartment to work on the novel, which was coming along rather well. Our plot had quickly come together and Tim had sweetly suggested that I dedicate the story to Will, which I was very happy to do. It had taken me lots of work, but I'd finally managed to write exactly what I wanted to say.

_Dedication: _

_This novel was written in loving memory of Lt. William "Will" Rogers, who died on Feb 6, 2009. He will be missed for years to come and he will never be forgotten. Never. _

I brought over a casserole I'd cooked early that morning while I was getting ready for work and McGee and I ate as we edited the sixth draft of the novel.

"This is good," Timmy managed to say around a mouthful of baked spaghetti.

I smiled and wiped some sauce off of his chin. "Thanks, baby. You like everything I cook." I sipped my Diet Dr. Pepper slowly and wrote something into one of the margins.

"Did you ever talk to Gibbs?" McGee wanted to know.

I nodded, chewing and then swallowing. "Yeah, I did. He said he'd do it and then we worked on his boat and had pizza and beer."

Tim almost choked on his spaghetti. "You had dinner with him _and _got to work on the boat? Wow. He must've been in a really good mood."

I nodded. "I'm as surprised as you are. Anyway, tomorrow night I'm meeting Ziva and Abby to discuss the wedding plans. They're all coming over to my place for a 'slumber party'."

"I'm glad I'm not included in any of this," McGee declared, finishing his dinner and taking his plate to the sink.

I jumped up quickly. "That's not fair!" I insisted, pretending to be put out. "You should want to be involved in every aspect of our wedding plans." I snatched at wooden spoon up off the counter and playfully swatted at him with it.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, flinching. "That hurt."

I giggled like a little girl and hit him again. "Guess you better make me behave," I told him, my blue eyes twinkling.

Suddenly, McGee was grinning too. He grabbed my hand and twisted it behind my back, gently though. "I'm a federal agent," he reminded me. "I could arrest you for domestic violence."

I laughed again as he backed me into the corner of his small kitchen. "I'd like to see you try, Timothy McGee," I whispered in a low, sultry tone.

His boyishly handsome face grew serious for a moment and then he wrapped both of his arms around me and lifted me up so that I was sitting on the counter and looking directly into his bright blue eyes.

"I love you," he told me honestly, pushing some blonde hair out of my eyes.

"Well, that's good to know," I replied. "Because I wouldn't want you to marry me if you didn't love me." I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his lightly. When I tried to pull away but McGee pulled me closer to him and pressed his mouth firmly against mine, knotting his hands in my long blonde hair.

The next evening at 5:30PM on the dot, I shut my computer down and grabbed my purse from underneath my desk and my coat from the closet behind the door.

"Have a nice evening, Ms. Collins," I called into my boss's office.

"Goodnight, Elle," she replied, never looking up from the papers she was working on.

I left work and drove to a nearby restaurant where I was meeting Abby and Ziva for dinner to discuss wedding plans. They arrived about five minutes after I was seated and we got right down to business.

"You have you dress, correct?" Ziva asked me, sipping the water the waiter brought her.

"Yes, I bought a cute white sundress at Gap yesterday. Oh, and they have the same dress in pink or black, so I was thinking maybe that's what you bride's maids would want to wear," I replied.

"Did you say...black?" Abby's eyes grew wide with excitement. "Can I really wear a black dress to your wedding?"

Ziva laughed pleasantly. "It wouldn't be a complete NCIS family wedding if you didn't wear black, Abby," she pointed out.

We surveyed the menu and all ordered as soon as the waiter returned, then quickly decided to purchase the dresses tomorrow morning in a group trip to the mall. By the time our meals were served, we had finished all our notes and made plenty of plans for the wedding, which was only four short weeks away.

That night, as I headed to my car, something felt wrong. I was positive that someone was lurking in the shadows, and that I heard footsteps behind me. I brushed it off as stupid paranoia—overreaction.

I set my purse on top of the Camry while I unlocked the door when, from behind, something hard and solid hit me on the base of my neck and I sagged to the ground.

Ziva knew it was her job to see the out-of-ordinary, but she was certain she was losing her mind as she walked down the street to where her car was parked. It was just habit that made her think someone was standing behind the corner of a nearby building or watching her from the car across the street. Still, a nervous feeling settled in the pit of her stomach and she couldn't get rid of it. As soon as she unlocked her car and opened the door, something solid hit her from behind and blackness closed in on her.

Abby walked happily back to her car, content that she could wear black in Elle and McGee's exotic wedding. Usually black was considered taboo at weddings, but not at this one. Everyone knew that Abby was incomplete without black.

When she got to her old, vintage car, she was so absorbed in throwing her bag in the passenger seat that she never saw the mysterious attacker approach from behind and knock her totally unconscious.

_Oooo!! A cliffhanger! What's gonna happen to the three NCIS girl? Don't worry, no one will die, but this will bring them all closer together, trust me. I should have the next chapter posted later today, so keep an eye out! Review, please, and tell me what you'd like to see happen. I'll try to work it in._


	5. Vanished

Okay, here goes. Now that the pain meds are mostly out of my system, I'm able to think clearly. Btw, Justicerocks, you're my most constant reviewer! Thanks a million!

The next morning, as he toasted himself a cinnamon and raisin bagel, McGee was starting to get worried about his fiancée. She hadn't called him after dinner with Ziva and Abby last night, which was unusual. She normally called him just before she went to bed. But that wasn't the part that worried him most. He couldn't get in touch with her this morning and both Ziva and Abby's phones had immediately gone straight to voicemail. Gibbs' rule was to _never _be unreachable.

McGee ate slowly, lost deep in thought. He knew he was slightly paranoid, especially since he and Elle had been attacked in the park. He loved his beautiful fiancée more than anyone in the world and the thought of losing her was more than he could bear.

At ten-thirty, McGee's phone rang and he looked up from his writing to see that it was Tony.

"Hey, McGeek, have you talked to Ziva this morning?" Tony wanted to know. His voice was tinged with a concern that McGee rarely heard.

"No, Tony, I haven't. Why? Something wrong?"

"Nah!" Tony brushed it off hurriedly. " I think I've watched one too many movies is all."

"I haven't been able to get in touch with Elle or Abby this morning, either," Tim told him. "I'm a little worried myself."

"Maybe I should call Gibbs. Hang on, I'll three-way call him in."

Gibbs wasn't one to get worried easily, except when it came to the people he cared about. As soon as Tony and McGee told him that they couldn't get in touch with Elle, Ziva, and Abby, he jumped into action.

"Tony, go to Ziva's place. Tim, you go to Elle's. I'll head over to Abby's. Call me as soon as you get find anything out."

When McGee got to Elle's apartment complex, her car wasn't parked outside and she didn't answer when he pounded on her door for five minutes. He pulled out his phone and dialed Gibbs, who had just gotten to Abby's place and determined that she wasn't there.

"Where were they going to dinner, McGee?" Gibbs demanded to know.

"Maggie's, down on Davis Street," Tim replied. "I'll meet you there."

Gibbs was worried—really worried. Abs always answered his calls, even when she was in the middle of something important. She meant a lot to him, and so did Ziva(who had shot her half-brother, Ari, just to save his life), along with Elle, who had quickly made herself a part of the tightly-knit NCIS family. Gibbs didn't care about just everyone and he even more seldom showed how much he cared about someone.

Gibbs, Tony, and McGee arrived at Maggie's at the same time. It was obvious to each that the other were worried about where their ladies were.

"Abby's car is parked down the street," Tony told them. "I passed it when I was looking for a place to park.

"Ziva's is about two blocks that way," Gibbs announced, running his fingers through his grey hair.

"I saw Elle's down that street," McGee announced. "Something's happened to them."

"Brilliant deduction, McSherlock!" Tony snapped. "It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out!"

McGee ignored DiNozzo's anger. They were all a little tense.

"Okay, McGee: Go look at Elle's car and see what you can find out. Tony: You do the same with Ziva's car. I'll check out Abby's."



When I woke up, I was lying on a cold, cement floor. Ziva was sitting up and leaning against a nearby wall. Abby was unconscious on the floor next to me.

"What happened?" I groaned, sitting up slowly.

"Somebody grabbed all three of us," Ziva told me weakly.

"Are you okay?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck where it was sore.

"Yes," she replied simply.

I crawled over to Abby's side and made sure she was breathing. When I touched her, she moaned quietly and rolled over, her eyes blinking open.

"What the hell?…" she mumbled faintly.

"It's okay, Abby." I looked up at Ziva. "Do you know who did this to us?"

She shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "No. I have no idea. I should have known something was wrong! I thought I saw someone in the shadows!"

"Me too!" I declared.

"Yeah, me too," Abby spoke up, sitting up too. "Don't worry. Gibbs and Tony and McGee—they'll find us."

Ziva checked her watch. "It's three AM. We left the restaurant at about eleven, didn't we?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's about right. I doubt anyone has realized we're missing yet."

"Hey, you guys!" Abby wailed. "We're talking about Gibbs, Tony and McGee—the three sweetest, most adorable guys on the planet. As soon as they realize we're unreachable, they'll come to our rescue."

"But where are we?" I asked, standing up slowly and leaning against the wall to steady myself.

The room we were in was small and made of cinderblocks. The only door looked iron and heavy. There was no handle on our side. There was no window, no furniture—nothing that might give us some clue as to where we were.

"You know, if we were knocked unconscious at eleven PM, we wouldn't have been out for four hours. I'm guessing someone drugged us as well," Abby surmised, beginning to examine her arms for needle marks.

"Abby's right," Ziva agreed. "I was struck by something first."

"Why would someone kidnap all three of us?" I wondered aloud. "Ransom? To get back at NCIS?

Footsteps approached the door from the other side and, from the sound of it, it was more than one person.

"I think we're about to find out," Ziva declared bitterly.


End file.
